Parents raise questions about UNO charter schools' use of millions from state grant

January 22, 2013|By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter

Workers hoist a beam into place at a "topping off" ceremony Tuesday for the UNO charter school in the 5000 block of South St. Louis Avenue. (Terrence Antonio James, Chicago Tribune)

Construction on a new charter high school in Chicago's Gage Park neighborhood reached a milestone Tuesday even as the school's operators fended off criticism from one parents group about its finances.

More than 100 parents, students and community members including Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, huddled in a heated tent and watched laborers hoist the last major piece of steel for the UNO Soccer Academy High School in the 5000 block of South St. Louis Avenue.

The school, which will seat 960 students, cost roughly $31 million, which came out of $98 million the United Neighborhood Organization received from the state in 2009 to build schools and relieve overcrowding in Hispanic communities. It was the largest state subsidy ever given to a charter school network.

Last week, the parent advocacy group Parents United for Responsible Education filed a complaint with the Illinois inspector general's office, asking it to look into how the funds are being spent by UNO. PURE's executive director said UNO has not been transparent enough about how the money is being used.

"We have our doubts of whether this money going to UNO is in the best interest of children," said Julie Woestehoff, executive director of PURE.

In addition to building the high school, the state grant was used for the construction of two other charter schools, as well as some renovation expenses at the three-school Veterans Memorial Campus in the South Side Archer Heights neighborhood, according to documents from UNO.

About $15 million remains and UNO has not decided how to use that money, which can only be spent on capital projects.

"It's purely (for) construction, it's not programs," said Juan Rangel, UNO'S chief executive officer. "All that money goes to the building of the school."

While Chicago Public Schools says many of its schools are underenrolled, Rangel said neighborhood schools in Hispanic communities like Brighton Park and Archer Heights are overcrowded.

The new facility, which includes an artificial turf soccer field, complements a neighboring grammar school that incorporates soccer, fitness and nutrition into the curriculum.

Rodolfo Benitez, 49, said he formerly sent his children to Catholic grammar school because "the quality is not there" at the city's public schools. But his 14-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son now attend the soccer academy.

"If (my daughter) is lucky enough, she will end up being there," he said, pointing to the new high school.